An unlikely promoter of tribal development, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has set the bar for collaboration and capacity building. At first glance, the NSF was an unlikely and even unpromising administrator for a program promoting tribal development. Unlike the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Department of Education, the NSF did not have a…

Of the 37 tribal colleges and universities in the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, 33 are tribally controlled--located on Indian land and chartered by tribes. In governance and funding, the four intertribal colleges differ from tribally-controlled colleges. Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for example,…

Describes the growing network of institutions of higher learning chartered by American Indian tribes and located on reservations to meet the unique educational and cultural needs of the surrounding reservations. Highlights culture-based curricula, training for tribal needs, need for state and federal support, and need for professional development.…

Provides an interview with David Risling, Jr., a Native American educator who helped establish the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and now is acting president of D-Q University. Highlights Risling's reflections on the status of Indian spirituality and connections to indigenous groups in New Zealand and Latin America. (MAB)

Recounts the history of some of the earliest tribal colleges and poses questions regarding the current state of American Indian higher education institutions. Argues that, though the colleges are expanding, the larger goals of nurturing sustainable communities remain unfulfilled. Compares tribal colleges to Maori schools in New Zealand. (NB)

The article presents the author's views on the important role of tribal colleges in shaping the social and cultural development of their tribes. The author says that even small tribal colleges can manage programs that promote wellness, economic development, and basic scientific research. Tribal colleges need to develop culturally based approaches…

Describes the community-based research approach of Barbara Bowman, a non-Indian studying psychological issues at Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. Reviews tribal-researcher relations at the reservation and discusses tribal requirements for research, including approval of the study, tribal ownership of the data, and formal presentations of…

The problems many Indian children experience in schools-- low academic achievement, absenteeism, high drop-out rates-- cannot be solved by any one individual. Instead, it requires action by the entire school system and, especially, greater leadership by Indians themselves. Tribes must become partners in the process of school reform and become…

Traces increases in Indian-controlled economic development, community health, and cultural programs on reservations, highlighting the role of tribal colleges. Discusses Indian education's prior goals of complete submersion in White culture and separation of students from their heritage/language. Considers ways this legacy persists. Highlights…

Provides an interview in which Twila Martin, a member of the Chippewa tribe, reflects upon her experiences as a politician, educator, and social activist. Discusses the importance of traditional tribal leadership, the role of tribal colleges in strengthening that leadership, and the creation of Turtle Mountain College, in North Dakota. (MAB)

The article discusses the sovereignty of tribal communities in the U.S. Tribes are not simply ethnic neighborhoods but actual nations with a land base, a unique "government-to-government" relationship with the federal government, and a status. In the 1970s, the federal government gave tribal governments more responsibility to manage programs that…

Contrasts Native American respect for children and the elderly with mainstream U.S. neglect of these groups. Offers examples of elders' authority in many traditional Indian societies. Reviews pressures for change and their impact. Highlights Salish Kootenai College's and Turtle Mountain College's efforts to support families. (DMM)

Provides the insights of Dr. John Red Horse regarding Native American tribal control over research conducted in Indian communities, the role and approaches of non-Indian academic scholarship regarding Native Americans, and changes in research methodology brought about by Native American researchers focusing on immediate needs of the community.…

Bill Leap responds to questions regarding reasons for the disappearance of traditional languages, steps in and barriers to language renewal, the need for written language, the importance of understanding a community's culture when studying or teaching the language, and the roles tribal colleges and linguists can play in language preservation. (DMM)

Summarizes findings of the 1995 Carnegie Foundation report, Native American Colleges: Progress and Prospects, which examined 1,614 tribal college student attitudes and outcomes in four areas: student services, instruction, campus climate, and curriculum. Due to limited financial resources, tribal campus facilities often were found to be inadequate…